With summer now officially over and tropical storm season in full flow, climate and flood defence experts are worried large swathes of the country could face spending much of autumn and winter underwater.

“When the heavy rains return, politicians will of course leap to saying they're doing everything they can; but that isn't true.”

Guy Shrubsole, Friends of the Earth

Urban areas, including York and Lincoln, were most at risk from surface water – or flash – flooding as their drainage systems struggle to cope in such conditions.

Coastal erosion, which threatens temporary flooding and the permanent loss of homes to the sea, is most prevalent on the east coast, with larges areas of Cornwall also as risk.

All of the areas listed on the map are considered to be either at medium or high risk of flooding, according to EA data.

If an area is at medium risk of flooding it means that there is between a one in 100 and one in 30 chance of that premises becoming flooded within the space of a year.

If an area is categorised as high risk, then it means that there is a greater than one in 30 chance of that property being affected by flooding in any given year.

Severe storms in the UK

Tuesday, 9th February 2016

A collection of storms are set to batter Britain

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Storm Imogen - Waves sweep up to parked cars, Newhaven, East Sussex

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CHAOS: Thousands of homes were flooded during severe weather in January 2016

Bad UK weather 2016

Thursday, 23rd June 2016

Forecasters predict torrential rain, hail showers and thunder storms across most of the country on Tuesday - putting a dramatic halt to the recent warm spell/

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A car stranded on Queenstown Road, Battersea

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UNDERWATER: Historically, Carlisle has been blighted by floods

The EA told Daily Star Online around 5.8 million properties are at risk of flooding in England – that’s roughly one in six homes and businesses.

Guy Shrubsole, flooding and climate change expert for environmental charity Friends of the Earth, told Daily Star Online the government is not doing enough to defend communities from flooding.

He said: “The UK certainly needs to be prepared for this winter, when there's greatest risk of heavy rains and storm surges, and as a country we need to be doing far more to defend ourselves from rising seas and worsening storms.

“The fact that the government still haven't published Oliver Letwin's much-vaunted Flood Resilience Review is yet another example of how flooding falls off the agenda when there isn't a photo-op for politicians to stomp about in welly boots.

“When the heavy rains return, politicians will of course leap to saying they're doing everything they can; but that isn't true.

“As Environment Secretary, Andrea Leadsom should be demanding far greater investment in flood defences, and making sure farm subsidies are spent on reducing floods such as by re-planting trees on our uplands, rather than handing out cash to grouse-moor owners who keep the uplands bare.”

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WATER JOKE: Former prime minister David Cameron was never one to shy away from the camera

Storm Abigail batters the UK

Friday, 13th November 2015

After a Met Office warning, Storm Abigail is set to bring flooding, extreme weather and travel chaos to Britain.

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Rough seas in Cumbria

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SOAKED: Peterborough and the surrounding areas are high risk regions

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency told Daily Star Online: “We are spending more than £2.5 billion to build flood schemes around the country, which will better protect 300,000 homes by 2021 – we also encourage everyone to find out if they are at risk and sign up for our free flood warnings online.”